2005 Saab 9-5 Test Drive

Stodgy Swede

The SportWagon is as roomy as a Lexus RX300 and faster, too. How come nobody drives one?

Here, for example is the Saab 9-5 Wagon, which, in its base 2.3t Linear variety, sells for $32,550, or almost exactly the same price as the front-wheel drive Lexus RX330. (The two-wheel drive RX330 goes for $36,025; the four-wheel drive RX330 sells for $37,425.) The Saab also boasts almost exactly the same amount of cargo volume. Moreover, the 2.3t gets to 60mph in 8 seconds, while it takes the Lexus 8.8 seconds to reach the same mark. Yet the portly Lexus only gets 18 city mpg versus 22mpg for the Saab. (On the highway, the Lexus gets 22 mpg, while the Saab gets a fuel-sipping 32mpg).

OK, you say, so how come if the Saab is as roomy as the RX330, faster and gets better mileage, it doesn't sell as well? In the first quarter of 2002, Lexus sold 24,301 RX330s, while in that same time period only 4,217 Saab 9-5s sold -- and that figure includes sedans as well.

The answer? Fashion: Crossovers like the RX330 are "in," while traditional-looking wagons and sedans aren't at all hip, despite being much better drivers in almost every case. Also, ride height is key: If you aren't in a skyscraping SUV, you can't see down a highway packed with tall SUVs.

But let's just say our sage wisdom regarding why wagons are better sunk in, and now you're seriously considering one rather than getting a gas-sucking truck that enriches Saddam Hussein every time you fill it up. (You're right, that guilt trip never works.) How does the Saab stack up versus similarly sized wagons from BMW, Mercedes, Audi and Volkswagen? And since we're talking about a five-year-old platform on the Saab, one that will be replaced in 2003 (as a 2004 model), would it be better to wait and get what comes next? Keep reading.